LAKEPORT – The 11th annual Lakeport Enhanced Education Foundation (LEEF) Annual Big Band Dance and Auction fundraising results are in. LEEF originated in 1993 as a parent-founded fundraising engine for the Lakeport Unified School District (LUSD) that has given the school system $350,000 since 1996. This year approximately 250 people attended the event, held Feb. 23 at the Lake County Fairgrounds. More than $30,000 was raised, according to organizer Melody De Leon.
The mission of LEEF is to fund educational endeavors that may otherwise be lost due to budget cuts. The fundraiser is especially important this year, De Leon said, due to the deep cuts to K-12 state education budget Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced in January. “This will help support music and the arts-programs that have been cut in our schools,” De Leon said.
Many schools receive funding from PTO groups and booster clubs. When the Classified Music Specialist position and fourth grade Art Specialist position were eliminated due to budget cuts in 2002-03, the Lakeport Elementary School PTO committed to fully fund the position, according to LUSD Superintendent Erin Hagberg. “Each year they sponsor a Tiger Track-a-Thon to raise proceeds to continue funding the program,” Hagberg said. LEEF is a non-profit organization and “major supporter of the music program,” De Leon said, helping purchase equipment for the band program and lighting and sound equipment in the new MAC (Marge Alakszay Center) – a performing arts multipurpose room located across from the high school on the Terrace Middle School campus.
When there is no money in the budget for a specific need, the school often turns to LEEF to ask for help. “The elementary school needed money for technology last month, so we wrote a check for $4,000,” De Leon said.
Other projects funded by LEEF since 1993 include new computer labs at the elementary and middle schools, renovations to the high school gym, playground equipment, a new middle school science lab, faculty computers, campus beautification, the Clear Lake High School (CLHS) digital marquis at the school”s entrance, the CLHS Drama Department and scholarships for CLHS graduates.
De Leon said attendance this year was exceptional considering hard economic times that have many area families trying to make ends meet. She feared a lower attendance this year because ticket pre-sales were sluggish. “It was unexpected, the numbers that showed up at the door. We had groups of eight at a time wanting tables, it was outstanding,” De Leon said.
She said the support in Lakeport – a city with a population of about 5,000 – indicates similar programs could be instituted successfully at each of the five school districts in the county. “There are times that I feel bad that it”s just for Lakeport”s schools,” De Leon said. The LEEF fundraiser included an auction with items and packages from more than 30 area businesses.
Due to the budget crisis, LUSD will be issuing one lay-off notice to a teacher, according to Hagberg.
“We are actually downsizing by three certificated positions, but because we have several teachers retiring, we were able to reduce the number of lay-offs. Unfortunately, we will have a greater number of classified employees who will be receiving lay-off notices. That number has not yet been determined,” Hagberg said.
She added that in the past 15 years, LEEF has sponsored a ”tremendous number of projects and purchases.”
“The LEEF board members have always been individuals who are dedicated to bettering the Lakeport Schools and they are successful at soliciting support from our community. In tight financial times such as we are experiencing right now, their financial assistance is invaluable,” Hagberg said.
Contact Elizabeth Wilson at ewilson@record-bee.com Second version repost February 11, 2008
